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hormonal aging and skin

I want to know if there is anything in the raw world that can be done to avoid whatever hormonal affects there are on the skin. I am still young but want to do whatever I can to prevent any future skin deterioration.

I am concerned about sagging skin, loss of collagen, thinning skin, dryness, inability to hold water in skin, etc....whatever it is that hormonal aging is to blame for.

Everyone blames menopause for all these extra problems and I want to know if there are any answers for prevention.

I know there are soy estrogens that you can eat or supplement but I also read constantly that soy is bad for you and causes cancer.

Why has no one yet figured out how to avoid this type of aging?

Comments

  • CarnapCarnap Raw Newbie

    Why? Well, because aging is not a disease. It is a natural process.

    You can minimize the effects by eating healthy, but if you are planning on dying wrinkle free I wish you the best of luck in the most ironic and cynical sense possible.

  • Hi Rawspice: There is a lot of truth in Carnap's response. Beauty comes from within. But, there are plenty of things that you can do to minimize the wear & tear on your skin. Eating raw supplies your skin with the water that it needs. The skin is the last organ to receive water, so when there isn't enough to go around, the skin will not stay hydrated. Eating raw provides an abundance of water from fruits & vegetables. Vitamin C is a wonderful antioxidant for the skin and is also in abundance in fruits & vegetables though I add it to my smoothies too. There are a lot of natural health care products (cleansing milks, lotions) that include Vitamin C too. Upping your intake will produce noticeable results.

  • I don't really see a need for sarcasm to my question.

    Quite frankly, Osteoporosis has been blamed on menopause and called a natural part of aging and now there is tons of evidence suggesting otherwise and that it is completely preventable.

    If you can keep your bones from deteriorating, why not your skin?

    Tons of other degenerative 'diseases' have been blamed on age, and now they are viewed differently and as preventable, so I don't see why skin aging is linked to menopause and age in general.

    Certainly, there is a lot you can do to prevent sun damage, etc, but there has to be something that can be done about menopause.

    I should think most women would want to know that there is something they can do, that there is a natural answer so that women are not looked at as falling apart as they hit a certain age.

    I have read books by Dr. Linda Rector Page and she says that menopause is not supposed to be a big deal, that it is not supposed to cause dramatic changes in the body.

    So then, why do people believe menopause causes all these appearance related problems?

    And, can anyone verify if soy is a safe solution to hormonal changing or is it indeed bad for you?

  • Bananna1333Bananna1333 Raw Newbie

    I truly think, besides a healthy balanced raw diet is to Stay Out of the Sun and Wind.

    ...I've also heard cucumbers and avocados are especially great for the skin.

  • gratefultobegratefultobe Raw Newbie

    Dont drink alcohol, coffee, or smoke. All dehydrate and age the skin. All organs for that matter.

    I'm a big believer that a sunny disposition is a beauty secret we can all afford.

    I have chosen to skip the soy.

  • CarnapCarnap Raw Newbie

    I didn't mean to offend, I just was trying to have a good hearted laugh at the human tendency to want to go into the tomb looking like a top model.

  • Tonya Zavasta in her books (e.g.Your Right to be Beautiful: Miracle of raw foods) says our dislike of the effects of old age is due to the fact that they are not really natural. If we have the proper lifestyle we won't suffer these aging curses to the degree that we consider normal in today's society. Give her books a read--they are quite fascinating. She is very unapologetic about her obsession with beauty.

  • Of course Tonya is out to sell her beauty products, but you can just probably just adopt the some of the many suggestions in her books--I got them from our local library so I only had to pay my overdue fines!!

  • Annabelle77Annabelle77 Raw Newbie

    I studied gerontology in graduate school--- if you look at aging from a biological perspective, it is a buildup of mistakes in DNA replication in all of the cells in your body. DNA must repair itself when it is damaged by free radicals (unstable atoms without electrons that steal electrons from other atoms thus creating another free radical). Free radicals are caused by pollution and stress mostly-- Theoretically, if you could stop free radical damage and thus slow down the cells need to repair itself from damage you could (remember theoretically) stop the aging process. The only things that can stop free radicals are anti-oxidants. So-- the best thing you can do is consume a proper balance of all the anti-oxidants-- try as best you can to stay away from toxins and pollutants-- and dont let stress get the best of you!

  • waterbaby12347waterbaby12347 Raw Newbie

    rawspice~ I wish you had posted your age on your profile as what I'm about to share could be unhelpful depending on your age...

    If you are in your late 20's or under 45, anywhere in between it would be helpful to get a BASE hormone level to see what is normal for YOU because everyone is different... One size doesn't fit all.... Then when you do become perimenopausal , your MD will know what and how much to use for a replacement to keep you as healthy and happy as possible... Natural is better than synthetic as Annabelle77 suggests...

    But in the mean time....

    Avoid toxins of all types, include all the antioxidants possible and stay hydrated without more that 15 minutes of sun exposure a day... That way you will get your Vit D3 without the damage to your skin... Exercise, exercise exercise 45 minutes per day, 5 days a week, your entire body... Have a peaceful loving heart and your beauty will always shine through...

    Wish I had know all of this when I was 30 as my "real age" of 42 would be even less... My calendar years are 62 as of last week... So good luck to staying as young as possible!!! smile

  • apparently, jellyfish have discovered the secret of immortality:

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/4357829/Immortal-jellyfish-swarming-across-the-world.html

    who knows, maybe sometime in the future we will either learn from them and truly become immortal or succumb to the reign of the jellyfish!

    in the meantime, i've gotten great results from adding lots of silica to my diet. i also swear by chia seeds. tons of calcium, all the other minerals you need to process the calcium, omega fats galore, and yummy for breakfast.

    i also love annemarie borlind's skin products. i saw a photograph of annemarie at 80-something and she does not have a wrinkle on her face. amazing. i've been using her rose facewash and my skin looks noticeably better all around. www.boerlind.com

    someone mentioned facial exercises. i've heard a lot about them and have seen some incredible testimonial photos.

    oh, and frownies. they made a premature wrinkle of mine go away. check it: www.frownies.com. they're cheaper at whole foods than off of the internet, though.

    i'm 30 now and am just beginning to notice the aging process creep onto my skin. it's scary. i love growing older and honestly look forward to the greater maturity and confidence that comes with age, but i want to have nice skin. i don't think it's too much to ask. i am convinced that a balanced, primarily raw food diet, combined with exercise and skin care will keep our skin looking fresh and healthy.

    we can do it, ladies!

  • ajcajc Raw Newbie

    Carnap....... ""I just was trying to have a good hearted laugh at the human tendency to want to go into the tomb looking like a top model.""

    ajc,chuckles!

  • leahcelesteleahceleste Raw Newbie

    I second the suggestion to look into Tonya Zavasta's website, www.beautifulonraw.com

    She is really interested in skin care and her skin looks amazing. She has a very distinctive routine that she has been tweaking over the years. I have tried the face brushing that she recommends and it really does work. I plan on buying her face brush because I have not found one that I could stick with. I dry skin brush my body and when I really do it regularly my skin looks great.

    I also recently purchased her ebook on facial exercises and plan to start the program this month. I really do think that she is on to something here.

    Please don't take soy products for your skin. Soy is really not good for women and GMO contamination is likely. Eat well, and get plenty of sleep. It doesn't matter what supplements you take if you don't live a healthy lifestyle.

    Also I have noticed that juicing makes my skin glow. I am back on drinking 2 green juices a day and after about a week my skin just glowed. I have been getting many compliments lately on my "glow". Cucumber and other silica rich foods are important to consume daily because silica builds healthy skin and bones.

    I truly believe that wanting healthy skin, hair eyes, and whatever else is perfectly natural. I am 29 but would like to hold on to my beauty for as long as possible and by starting now I hope that I am giving myself a good chance. I am not as concerned about wrinkles though just want healthy glowing skin.

  • I am with you ladies in your late-20s / early 30s (that's me - nearly 29)! Having glowing, healthy skin is what I think we can all have into old-age even. I have always taken good care of my skin. I had a woman in church (a spiritualist church) tell me once that I have beautiful skin and always will. That was her premonition I guess! I'm noticing some slight changes, but I think I look better now than I did when I was younger because I am happier and healthier. Exercise is so important for hormone balance, and admittedly, I am terrible about it! I dry-brush my face now, and I notice really good effects from that!

    If you want to hear some crazy attempts at avoiding hormonal aging, google suzanne sommers - she was in the news recently talking about her hormone therapy, which includes injecting a form of estrogen daily into her vagina! Yes...her vagina! And she takes over 60 supplements a day! Very scary!

  • Tangerina- I am not familiar with chia seeds Can you tell me what they are, how to use them and where to find them. I can google them, of course.

    Anyway, thanks to all who responded. I am young-ish (early 30's) and I look 21 (or so many have said) but I work in skincare and in all the training I go through, there is so much talk of this 'hormonal' aging that gets you in the end. I have so many people tell me, they were completely wrinkle free and youthful and then ALL OF A SUDDEN...

    So it tends to worry me. I am actually more concerned about sagging skin and volume loss than wrinkles, b/c as we know now, the vast majority of wrinkles are caused by sun exposure which can be prevented.

    It truly makes me wonder, if everything that has been attributed to 'aging' is really just the accumulation of too much sun and lack of nutrition throughout one's lifetime.

    I mean, they always say your metabolism slows with age, but now there is evidence saying that age only accounts for 1% of this slowdown and that all the rest is diet and lack of exercise and that you should weigh your whole life what you weighed at 18.

    And of course, bone loss, greying hair, many many diseases are now considered nutritional problems, not aging problems.

    And to hear older women talk about menopause and blaming it for their skin issues, worries me, b/c I don't know if it is true or not and b/c I want to 'prevent' it, not just fall apart the way so many people believe is natural and normal.

    Ultimately, I admit I don't know at all what happens during menopause, I know that estrogen declines and that it's up in the air whether or not hormone replacement is a good idea or if plant estrogens are any safer.

    Thw whole thing really does worry me, but in the meantime, I will the suggestions I have gotten here.

  • internettouristinternettourist Raw Newbie

    Eating raw will help the transport systems working the way they are suppose to--removing the toxins, feeding the skin.

    Don' take soy or milk. Both will make you snot up and acidify your body,

  • One thing I'm surprised wasn't mentioned near the top of the list is sugar intake. Sugars (even those we get from fruits and other good raw foods, but especially refined forms of sugar) break down the collagen in our skin and can lead to increased sagging, wrinkling and cellulite!

    I have a sweet tooth, so this is hard for me to deal with on a daily basis, but you can bet I've reduced my sugars significantly since discovering this!

  • rawspice - chia seeds are great for the skin because they have a great balance of essential fatty acids. our skin thrives on those omegas, and some days the avocados in my kitchen just aren't ripe enough. chia seeds are such a good source for them because they have the 3/6/9 omegas in just the right proportion our body wants them. this is especially important for people with thyroid issues. they are also great for the digestive system which definitely affects our skin's health. they're also a good protein source - the full array of amino acids. they're my probably my favorite superfood (at least in the top three).

    my favorite benefit of chia seeds doesn't have as much to do with skin, but definitely hormonal aging. it's their effect on our bone health. it's really important to load up on the calcium now while we are in our 30s, and just two tablespoons of chia seeds have as much calcium as a glass of milk. plus, it's got the goods to process the calcium, which milk doesn't (ha!).

    so, yeah. healthy skin + healthy bones = fabulously healthy aging!

    i have them for breakfast as cereal with almond milk, raisins, chopped almonds, & coconut flakes. it can get quite mushy like pudding or oatmeal, so it's good to have it with something crunchy like nuts or buckwheat groats. i find that two tablespoons of chia seeds are enough for a full bowl. they really swell up! you can also just add them to smoothies.

    oh, and i totally agree with agavegirl that sugar is a huge culprit in our aging. i draw strength from my vanity to stay away from sweets.

    someone might have mentioned this before but these three are youth destroyers: caffeine, sugar, and wheat.

  • I never answer or add to blogs but I had to join this one because of the ignorance of the women who are picking on Rawspice for wanting to take the best possible care of her facial skin that she can.I do not believe it is Vanity to want to "naturally" take care of the ONLY vessel we have to live in through this life and it would be very disrespectful to ourselves and GOD to not take care of our vessel of which carries our soul and whole purpose of being. That being said I am sharing some beauty tips with rawspice. Use Brown sugar to exfoliate your facial skin and your body twice a week with Dove soap.The enzymes in the brown sugar are healing and hydrating and gentle enough to use everyday if skin is extremley dry. I do this in the shower by soaping my body down with my hands and the Dove then I dig out a small handful of brown sugar and scrub my face and add more for my body.You will see and feel results immediately. Keep a rubberband wrapped around your brown sugar bag so it dosent get hard. While I am still in the shower I pour virgin olive oil on my shoulders and arms and back and I let the hot water run the oil down the rest of my body and massaging it into my hips thighs and legs then I do a cold rinse which if done every time you shower it actually tones your skin while closing your pores, then I blot myself dry. I use Roc night cream day and night. I clean my face in the am and pm. After the roc is applied I use a night time eye cream both am and pm and a night time hydrating cream for moisturizing both am and pm.Day Creams are a complete waste of Money, The night creams are richer and have more ingredients to enable skin repair. Dont forget your declatea area( Your Neck and chest) I also use once a week a 40% Glycolic acid Peel. You can go to www.glycolic.com to purchase the peel system but I would suggest starting with the 20% strength first. If used weekly it will last you about 6 months and worth every Penny!! I am a 50 year old Grandmother of seven grandkids and 3 jobs and everyone guesses my age at 35. It dosent even take that long to add these steps into your routine. I also excersize and eat alot of fruit ,fish chicken and vegetables, and I Love my 1/2 cup cottage cheese,1 cup blueberries Fresh or Frozen and two tablespoons of raw honey (I Raise my own Bee's) with a sprinkle of pine nuts two times a day! So for all of you who think this is a waste of time I'd bet my cowboy boots as soon as Ya'll read this you will be breaking out the brown sugar and trying it yourselves. Oh did I mention that I am a Licensed Ferrier/Horseshoer and am in the ever changing elements of the outdoors everyday!! SUNSCREEN PEOPLE!!!! And dont forget your sunglasses and Hat ,Cap ,Visor.I am also a Licensed Cosmotologist for 32 years and I am a Licensed Foster Care Home for Seniors so dont give me any Bull about not having time to care for yourself People. If you dont take care of you, You cant take care of others!!! I dont mind aging gracefully but when I am in my 70's my face wont look like a Craggy road map because I have taken care of myself.

  • emtpdmomemtpdmom Raw Newbie

    Horseshoe44 ~

    Thanks so much for sharing. I've been doing a different version of the brown sugar routine, and would appreciate your input. Two or three times a week I use raw organic coconut oil and brown sugar as a whole body scrub (including my face), occasionally with a bit of lavender oil added. Then rinse and pat dry. I've not used any "soap" products in several months. By combining the sugar and oil do I have the same basic effect in one step? Is there an advantage in the olive oil that I'm not getting from coconut oil?

    I also use baking soda as my daily facial scrub (exfoliate), with what I consider remarkable results, and coconut oil to moisturize my whole body. I had some facial blemishes (an inherited characteristic) that the dermatologist said I would just have to live with. He could "freeze" and top them, but they would just come back. There were no other remedies. Well . . . the baking soda scrub has almost completely eliminated them, something my commercial exfoliates had not done. My cousins, who have the blemishes on their arms, are trying the baking soda now.

    I am also "no poo" -- use baking soda or just water and then a mild vinegar rinse on my hair about twice a week. I made one other monumental change . . . a chlorine and fluoride shower filter. Even on those rare occasions when I decide to soak in a tub of hot water, I always let the water flow from the shower head. The filter was my very first change and the difference in my skin was almost immediate (within 3 days). I'm so "hooked" on the filtered water that I almost avoid showering when traveling. If I ever find a portable filter, I will buy it.

  • There is nothing that can be done. You can take black cohosh. Don't take soya isoflavones as they increase the symptoms. Take it from me. All the above recommendations but if you use a moisturiser, use one that contains rose hip seed oil. It is brilliant. Also, have you noticed that the skin on any unexposed part of your body is not wrinkled. I am 60 years old and the only faults on my body are a lot of scars and a blob of fat. lol. but the skin is smooth. So what causes aging is also the sun. Use a sun screen on your face and neck and any exposed parts of your body. It's cool getting a tan, but you WILL pay for it when you get older. It takes that long. However, rose hip seed oil, or products containing it, will reverse this in about 4 months, so if you use it from now on, you will be better off than I am. Also, facial and neck excercises will help enormously. Just google 'face excercises' and you will find what you need to know. Soya has natural eostrogen, and although it stops bones from deteriorating and it prevents heart spasms after the menopause, and it has lots of beneficial elements, if you take a soy supplement, they are highly concentrated and so you risk taking too much. Just eat plenty of beans. Pinto beans have more of the beneficial isoflavones than soy, but different beans contain different quantities. look it up online. One more thing. NATURAL progesterone. It is much safer and balances your hormones.

  • Dear Emtpdmom,

    Every thing you are doing is great! Everyone's skin is different and what works for one may not work for another but it sounds like you have found your own great skin care regimen ,Kuddos to you for being so persistent!.Do you mind if I ask you your age? The reason I ask is because I too have occasional hormonal blemishes and I used to use baking soda as a facial scrub but it was so drying to my skin that it caused peeling and chaffing and the whole point of exfoiliating your facial area is to gently remove dead skin cells so the newer skin cells can come forth. Now I use Nutragena DEEP CLEAN Gentle SCRUB oil free twice a week and I also use their Toner before I moisturize.The Toner makes those Large Pores PUCKER UP and with light daily use mine have become visually smaller. I like the brown sugar as a facial scub the best because it is gentler for daily use and my skin always feels hydrated and supple even before I tone and moisturize. I was a smoker for 25 years and last year I noticed that this habit was having a harsh effect on my facial skin below the corners of my mouth and my smile lines so I quit 02/14/08 and started reaserching products that will reverse the damage I caused and that is when I stumbled across the Glycolic acid peel system. I do not work for them nor do I sell for them I am just a customer who because of my cosmotology background already knew that our skin needs amino,hydoxy and glycolic acids to renew and rejuvinate our skin cell growth and promote collagen. We loose collagen the older we get so skin care items that boost and promote collagen are a must unless you want saggy jowels or creapy neck acne scars and a ruddy complexion. I know the initial cost can be spendy but mine has lasted over six months with weekly use and the craggy lines around my moth and laugh lines are so shallow that you almost dont notice them. Two days ago I stumbled on a european product that is now being sold here that is a collogen stick by EMESIL that literally diminishes deep lines 68% with first use and immediate results. I just ordered it and it was very spendy but I consider it research cause like you I have tried everything! There is another website I would like to share that I really Love www.rosemountainherbs.com they have essential oils coldpressed oils for skin damage like rose oil and kukui nut oil, Natural teas you name it they have it go on line and ask for their catalog, and their prices are GREAT. Thanks for asking my opinion ! I beleive in spreading the knowlede like I spread my Horses Manure , you Grow from it!! :) I can send you a before and after pic of my face if you want to share email addresses. Take care hon ! PeggySue

  • CarnapCarnap Raw Newbie

    Horseshoe, you must also have some pretty good genetics, if I may. Impressive in itself.

  • for those of you that use sunscreen daily, what kind do you use? i've tried it in the past but it made me smell very strongly of sunscreen which i didn't enjoy, and after a while, made my face break out. i would like to start using it daily while i'm young, though. also, are there any that are more natural than the coppertone or the commercial moisturizers with sunscreen? i heard those have compounds that actually INCREASE the rise of skin cancer...

    its all so confusing!

  • It is disrespectful to G-d to not obsess about our skin? Learn something new every visit to GoneRaw.

  • "Maca" is something out there. ;)

  • StrongAndRawStrongAndRaw Raw Newbie

    1) Read "Eating For Beauty" by David Wolfe (has a wealth of information in it).

    2) Take MSM powder daily (pure organic sulfur powder).

    3) Juice whole, organic cucumbers!

  • I've heard using a rebounder (mini trampoline) does wonders! It detoxes and strengthens all your cells. I've been using one for only a week and I notice a difference. My skin is brighter, probably because I am moving toxins out. I exercise very regularly, but rebounding feels different so I know there is something to it.

  • beanybeeganbeanybeegan Raw Newbie

    Aging. I was telling a women about raw eating. She said, that must be why you have such beautiful skin. I am 66, 98% raw vegan 5+ years and was yogurt vegetarian 9 years.

    I too use a rebounder, and have taken MSM for 9 years.

    Soy has to much of a problem being GMO. I don't eat any soy. It is not an estrogen problem that women have, but progesterone.

  • TO DAGNEY TAGGERT

    No, What I said is( I BELIEVE } it is disrespectful to God and ourselves to not take care of our bodies ,Our vessels that carry us through Life, its the only one we get so we better take care of it. There is no need to be snotty and you have your opinion as I have mine . I work out in the elements everyday and I have learned over the past 30 years by trial and error what works for me and I dont mind sharing my thoughts and opinions. I care for two beautiful ladies that live with me , one is 83 and her body is falling apart and she has many health problems resulting from the lack of personal care when she was younger then on the other side my other little lady is 105 yrs young and she still excersizes every morning and she eats healthy and only takes an 81mg aspirin a day. So You tell me . Yes I BELIVE in GOD and JESUS CHRIST ! MY Faith is a very instrumental part of my life and GOD is in my life everyday and he is my Creator so yes it is direspectful to not care for every aspect of your body and your skin is the largest organ we have and it is our protective barrier.

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